BLK,
Part of the problem of the SVT airbox, is that there is not a ;arge enough "pool" of air to draw from, which is why the open element KKM works better in spite of the negative effects of heat soak and fan wash. Now, w/ a heat shield, most of the negative effects are cancelled w/ minimal effect on the positive aspects of the open element filter, ie there is a larger "pool" of air to draw from, and it isn't air that has been sitting on top of the hot engine, or just drawn through a hot radiatior by a rapidly spinning fan.
there's more, but I don't want to get into the flow dynamics within the filter KKM uses . . .
